Blog Posts by PointClickHome.com

Clean, crisp, bright: A white kitchen is an ideal setting for the home cook, whether your taste is classic or contemporary, urbane or rustic. The use of white not only makes a kitchen look bigger and airier, it also provides a clean canvas for showcasing other elements to create an inviting, enchanting, and functional kitchen. Wood finishes look richer against white; printed fabrics pop even more; and lighting fixtures such as chandeliers and pendants stand out as sculptural elements against the neutral backdrop.

Above: Seaside Charm

The kitchen in fashion executive Scott Currie's Southampton, New York, home has casual country elegance, with a farmhouse-style ceramic sink from Rohl and fittings by Samuel Heath &Sons. A pair of slender pendants adds a modern touch, and a navy, rope-patterned tea towel nods to the home's seaside location.




Country Casual

A kitchen in Delaware mixes country and city touches. The cabinets are painted a pale ivory, subway tiles are used for the

Urban apartments have a reputation for being on the small, cramped side. Not in Tinseltown. In the fantasy worlds that screenwriters and directors dream up, city dwellings are anything but confined. From Ghost's downtown loft to American Psycho's modernist bachelor pad, there are no limits to the swank decor, striking architecture, or sheer square footage that film characters come home to.

Above: Sex in the City

After reuniting with Big, Carrie is finally ready to move out of her tiny apartment on the Upper East Side. The couple search everywhere for the perfect Manhattan abode, but once Carrie steps through this extravagant entrance, the hunt comes to a close. It's a prewar penthouse on Fifth Avenue with amazing light and French doors leading out to a rooftop garden. The closet is the only drawback, but after a remodeling job it becomes the most indulgent room in the house.

Devil Wears Prada

You'd think the editor of Runway would have edgier decor, but we love Miranda

Now that the holiday parties are over and another year has begun, we've reached the inevitable New Year's resolution period. Because getting organized is always a common goal for the new year (and a whole lot more fun than counting calories), we've rounded up a few hot products that not only make organizing a snap but are pretty and stylish as well.

Home Office: Finer Folders

With a lovely little bird and soft pink hues, these file folders definitely buck the manila standard. Stylish folders help you organize and decorate in one fell swoop.

Bird folders, $14 for 8; Wisteria.com.

Living Room: Two-in-One Table

This splashy red number has room to hang books or magazines, as well as balance a favorite drink, making it a perfect small-space side table.

Madra magazine rack, $60; cb2.com.

Tight on counter space? This smart shelf sits above the faucet, creating a storage surface for dish soap, sponges, and other dish-washing

"Survival mode" may have been the name of the game in 2009, but in 2010, the design world is looking to have a bit more fun. While designers are still conscious of the economic and environmental challenges ahead, the upcoming trends they're fashioning impart a boost of happiness and a shot of color, as well as an infusion of surrealist fantasy and handmade charm.

With household budgets still at the top of everyone's mind, quality and craftsmanship will also be of the utmost importance in the new year. Bonnie McKay, the director of creative retail at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, explains that people are "looking for things that are well made" and that "timeless pieces are the best investments." As for the designers creating the products, Murray Moss, an American design entrepreneur and retailer, sees their new focus on handmade objects that are "decorative, tactile and narrative" as an instinctive reaction against cold and impersonal industrial materials. From the

Let's face it, most any décor pales by comparison to the lights, garlands and ornaments that festoon our surroundings at year's end. But the magic needn't disappear along with the tinsel and tree. You can create year-round appeal by taking your cues from the decorations heading to the attic.

At their essence, they're small doses of luxury that hook the eye with pattern, color, form, texture and sheen. So, in the new year, turn to compact accents, paint, wallpaper, touches of nature and light to add beauty without bulk to your rooms. While some of these solutions call for a bit of elbow grease, they don't require deep pockets. And, just like those twinkling strands of bulbs, you can easily swap them out when the mood strikes.

Accents with Impact:

Nothing perks up a drab sofa or chair more quickly than a pillow…or two or three. These little packages deliver a wallop of pleasing geometry, color and texture that is disproportionate to their size.

The Elf Snowflakes

Buddy may have gone a little overboard with the paper snowflakes when redecorating Gimbels' ";North Pole"; set, but we love the idea of a few cutout strands dangling from the ceiling. They're fun to make and a slew of them hanging from the rafters create a spectacular winter wonderland effect.

Four Christmases' Curated Displays

Sissy Spacek's house in Four Christmases fits her offbeat, free-spirited character. It also doesn't scream Christmas. The tasteful table vignette and classic pine wreath in the window prove that subtle curated displays can make an impact.

A Christmas Story's Throw-back Charm

The cult classic, A Christmas Story, is set in a middle class 1940s home and strikes a chord with many, even beyond the baby boomers. Though the holiday decor is nothing spectacular, the wildly decorated tree and comfy couch evoke a back-to-basics appeal. And it makes us remember a time when nothing was more exciting than having your wish list

After months of watching the contestants duke it out, Bravo's Top Chef: Las Vegas finally came to a nail-biting finish last night, with Michael Votaggio emerging as the victor! He may have been crowned the season's best overall chef but with 14 episodes of stunning presentations, we feel a number of dishes deserve their day in the sun.

Show after show, we were blown away by how beautiful the cuisine came out (even if there was too much salt, or the lamb was undercooked). A lot of this, of course, is credited to the finalists, the Voltaggio brothers, who both had extensive culinary training and pushed the envelope not only with technique and flavor, but plate design. The emulsions and reductions, the purees, and the garnishes were always artfully arranged and one of the main appeals in this year's culinary drama.

What makes a compelling plate? According to Chef Eve Felder, an Associate Dean at the Culinary Institute of America, "it's about balance, unity, focus and focal point,

Ever thought you could enjoy a meal while suspended in a redwood tree in New Zealand? Or have lunch in a glass box that overlooks the Eiffel Tower? How about nibbling on a sandwich surrounded by walls of toast? There's no doubt about it-restaurants are certainly pushing the envelope-and we're not just talking about the menu. The world's top designers and architects are turning dining spaces into architectural wonders that impress just as much as the finely crafted entrees they serve. So if you're in search of an experience that's magical, breathtaking, and comes with a glass of wine, look no further.


Nomiya Restaurant, Paris

Created by artist Laurent Grasso and culinary architect Pascal Grasso, along with lifestyle brand Electrolux, the Nomiya Restaurant (named after a small restaurant in Japan) sits perched above the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, offering breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower. The pre-fab structure, which seats just twelve diners, is a mere 59 feet long, and is made